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Thursday, August 2, 2012

My new IHeart contributors are really kicking my rear into organized gear. Seriously, I have to revisit our chore chart process, clean out my car and now I get to reorganize under my kitchen sink. And you know what? I LOVE THAT! I am such a fan of what a little inspiration can do to re-energize the organizing bug! Here is Cassie from Hi Sugarplum, to share her super fab under the sink organizing update.

I am thrilled to be hanging out with you all today...or I guess being from Texas, I should say "all y'all!" Jen is one of my favorites, and I often refer to her blog as the Mother Ship. I can't start an organizing project {like my Family Drop Zone or Pantry} without consulting here first.

I was walking around my house brainstorming for my first contributor post, and as soon as I entered the Kitchen, I knew what I had to do.

We'd renovated it two years ago {the 1980s called and wanted it back}, then brightened things again with a new wall color last Fall, but a dirty secret was hiding behind these lovely shaker cabinet doors.

A hot mess of cleaning supplies, drippy sponges, rags and a busted-up bucket. The pull-out drawer is great, but not if there's no organization to it! So I tackled this nasty little secret...and pulled it off for under $20!

The first step is always the ugliest....clearing everything out. This is when my family cowers in the corner leaves the room, they know mommy is having 'an episode.' After purging the outdated stuff, I group them by like products.

The drawer has suffered some water damage from leaky pipes and wet sponges, so I first laid down some protective vinyl. Next up is assessing the available space....and in this case, there's not much! I think this is the largest disposal and pipe system the builder could find?!?

Bulky spray bottles take up the most space, so I utilized the gap behind the plumbing by hanging a $3 tension rod. It takes a little trial and error to get the rod as tight as possible, and balance the bottles on either end. The handles perch on the rod, freeing up more space below.

Next I arranged a collection of inexpensive plastic buckets like a puzzle, and filled them with the remaining cleaning products, grouped by category.

I needed to make sure the low-hanging pipe wouldn't prevent the drawer from pulling out {stuff trapped in the back is what started this whole mess!}, and little buckets from the Target Dollar Spot were a perfect fit. They are great for corralling smaller items like sponges, rags and dishwasher pellets.

We store the bulk of our paper towels in the Laundry Room, but now I have space to keep a few rolls at my fingertips.

Furniture stain goes in Ziploc bags as well, just in case they leak.

I like to keep my counters clutter-free, so I utilized the space on the cabinet doors for paper towels and dish rags.

My cabinet doors aren't deep enough for nails, and I didn't want to use over-the-door hangers because it would muck up the clean lines of the cabinets when closed, so Command hooks and strips to the rescue!

A plastic basket is hanging from another set of Command hooks, and great for wet sponges and brushes...the slats give them air to dry, and the separate basket keeps them from getting lost among the bigger things.

Here's what we all live for...the Before & After!

Now my Kitchen counter and sink is also sponge/rag/brush/paper towel free! Ah, it does my OCD heart good.

And while the cabinet under the sink isn't as pretty as an Organized Pantry, it comes pretty dang close! But don't be surprised if the pipes get a coat of pink paint someday. Isn't that what any good DIY-blogger would do?!

'Fess up....are you hiding some dirty secrets in your cabinets? Have you met an organized cabinet that didn't get your heart racing?

"Hi, I'm Cassie, a DIY and design-obsessed Texas girl, and lover of travel, fashion, sarcasm and Mexican food. When I'm not hanging with my sweet and funny family, you can find me kicking the '80s out of our home, one budget project at a time, on my blog Hi Sugarplum!"

85 comments:

Oh, dang, I've got to get busy!!!!This is wonderful- I bet you think of it even when the doors are closed and you smile to yourself because you know what's behind them - even when your guests don't! It's like a little secret...

Hi Sugarplum is one of my favorite blogs! I was so excited to hear she was going to be a contributer. I actually used some of the same supplies from Target when I organized under my sink a couple months ago. My builder seemed to go for jumbo size as well. :)

Oh yes -- I'm addicted to them! I use them for so many things, including seasonal decor, and they always come right off. And these are on the inside of the cabinet door, so not visable. Hope this helps!

I was going to ask the same thing. I have a ton of places I'd like to try the Command hooks but have been nervous in case they didn't remove as well as advertised. I guess it's time to give them a try.

Oh goodness, your before picture looks a lot like under our kitchen sink. I would LOVE to get a pull-out shelf, but we have a piece of wood going down the middle where the cabinets meet :( Thanks for the inspiration!

I organized under the sink a couple months ago...but it's getting cluttered again. Due to the unusual space and items that we store down there, it's a hard area to keep neat. I am jealous of that double-wide open space and pull out drawer. I have a much smaller space with a dumb cabinet piece in the middle.

Hi Casey! I found this one at Container Store...it came with hardware to mount it, but I skipped that and just used two Command strips. I can't tug too hard or the whole thing comes off...but it sure looks good! :)

I pinned this kitchen makeover a while ago because it looks exactly like I was imagining my kitchen looking eventually with the dark brown cabinets and grey granite looking countertops! So thrilled to see it pop up again! Cassie, I heart your tastes!

Isn't the Target dollar section awesome!!! I always find great little plastic organizers at my Target. Love how your organization project turned out. Smart!!! I organized mine a few months back and I'm so glad I did. Feels so good each time I open the doors. Thanks for sharing Cassie!!! :)

I'm so incredibly jealous! My cabinet is an endless pit of doom but since I wanna replace my cabinets in the next few years - I hate to invest too much as far as customization now. Too bad money doesn't grow on trees! LOL.

I HEART UNDER YOUR SINK!!! What a great idea! I will be going to the store tomorrow to get one of these !! I have a corner sink and there is sooo much room in the back that we just can't use! I currently have a very large lazy Susan under the sink which is great but things sometimes get caught in the plumbing pipe. Thanks so much for this great idea !!

this post could not of come at a better time!! Just today, after a 4 month remodel, we have a sink that has hot and cold water, a disposal and dishwasher. It is wonderful! So...........it is time to put everything back together!!! I certainly will be referring to your photos!

Greetings from Perth, Western Australia again...! It's pouring rain outside so I wont be going anywhere this morning, so.... browsing, looking for inspiration. As soon as I saw how you decluttered the cupboard under your kitchen sink a light-bulb went on and I stopped reading and went immediately to the cupboard under my laundry-room sink and saw it with fresh eyes...! Well Jen, you'll be pleased to know that I pulled everything out right away and spent half an hour sorting, cleaning the cupboard and putting things back so tidily that I feel very proud of myself for acting so promptly...! Thank you dear, I feel much better now that I've started my day with something POSITIVE...! Time for a cuppa tea now. HAVE A GREAT WEEK-END .... NADIA IN PERTH

I've been having issues with my kitchen space in general. I went from a house that was 2350 sq ft to a house that is 982 sq ft. What a change! But also, my kitchen is tiny. There's not a space for a trash out in the open, but also a trash can under the sink fills in a day and takes up valuable cupboard space. This organizing idea helps me out so much! The rolling drawer is brilliant and I especially like the use of vertical space. Command hooks on the door, love it!

Hi Cassie, I love your blog (I discovered it when you were announced as a contributor here). I actaully have organize under the sink on my to do list for this weekend, so this is perfect timing. I tried the tension rod several months ago and it didn't stay up (maybe I didn't have it tight enough?). I am going to try it again, I love the idea. Thanks for the inspiration. Cathy

I like what you did! I would of never thought about the tension rod but might be what I need for under my bathroom sink. I have buckets with our cleansers in them and then a container for my tools. I do have one question - what type of flowet is on the tray on the sink ( think its in a shell)?

Hi Miriam -- the towel holder came with hardware to mount to the underside of a cabinet or a door, but I used two Command strips instead. it's not super sturdy, but stays put if you're careful. but if it does pop off, it's easy to snap back on. And oh yeah...I found it at Container Store. :)

They are hooks that are can be used without drilling any holes, through adhesive which comes off the doors or walls clean. You can find the details here: http://www.command.com/wps/portal/3M/en_US/NACommand/Command/

Hi! Where did you find your wire basket? I've looked online at Dollar Tree, Target and general searches but haven't seen any like what you have pictured... I did see this one at IKEA that could work: http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/90072648/

I'm actually looking for one to hang our surge protectors and move computer wires up from the ground. I'm toying with the idea of using command hooks, or screw hooks into the desk or bending some metal strips from the hobby store over the back of the desk – much like an older model of IKEA cable organizers.

So anyway, I'd love to find those baskets to take a peek at them in person! :) Thanks and love your blog. Can't wait to implement some of your updated pantry organization ideas.

I agree with Karen..lots of searching for that little white,wire basket that goes inside the cabinet door ! Any help will be much appreciated! Btw, I'm Texan born and raised-still live in my hometown :)Great blog post!!

So excited to find this! I saw the post a while back and thought to myself, It would be a nice read when I have a decent kitchen. Well, now that I have one, I read it again and I can't wait to get to the store and get everything I would need! Thank you so much for sharing this! My OCD appreciates it! Melissa

The only suggestion - The dishwasher tabs should be kept in a tightly closed container. Because of their make-up, they will adsorb ambient moisture and can be rendered less effective - kind of like leaving meat in the freezer too long resulting in lots of wasted monies.

What kind of hook & rack did you have on the back of the cabinet door to hold the paper towel? I desperately need something to hang out my dish towels. Hook alone does not spread them out to dry. Thanks

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